Sidebar: The Scion iQ's Necessary Accessory: OEM Audio Plus 300CF Sound System

I've spent the past 35 years involved with the mobile electronics industry as an installer, retailer (Kartunes Mobile Electronics), and journalist (editor of Car Audio and Electronics) and so feel particularly qualified to evaluate this system. I can say without equivocation that, except for some factory-installed systems costing more than five times as much (the B&O system installed in the Audi A8, for example), the OEM Audio Plus packages as installed in the Scion vehicles are among the most musical and dynamic car audio systems I've ever auditioned.

Automotive sound systems have come a long way over the years. Historically, the aftermarket powered innovation and factory-installed systems followed. Over the last decade, however, the OEM systems have taken the lead, especially as audio, video, navigation, and communications became increasingly integrated into our mobile lifestyles.

Scion is taking a different approach, combining the best elements of factory-installed and aftermarket audio systems as part of its Optimize program of dealer-installed accessories. While the company offers basic and navigation-equipped head units, it has turned to outside suppliers to offer audio personalization options that are seamlessly installed by dealers to provide a high-end listening experience.

One such option is an impressive system from OEM Audio Plus. It provides any Scion iQ owner an auto-audiophile sound experience unrivaled by competitive systems costing two or three times its modest $1,000 price tag (plus a charge for dealer installation).

The heart of the system is an eight-channel, 32-bit digital amplifier combined with proprietary equalization tailored and matched specifically for the replacement speakers and subwoofer installed in the iQ's cabin.

The speakers are installed in the existing factory locations. The subwoofer enclosure is mounted behind the rear seat replacing the storage bin--a worthwhile trade-off if great sound is at the top of your agenda.

The speakers sport carbon-fiber cones, and the one-inch soft-dome tweeters are twice the diameter of the factory units they replace.

In a two-hour listening session at Scion headquarters (like my test iQ, the OEM Audio Plus system was a prototype, production-spec unit), I auditioned a wide variety of program material. As many Scion owners will be accessing their music collections from iPods and smartphones, I confined my source material to high-quality MP3 files purchased from Amazon.

The results astounded me. The system reproduced challenging program material with a sense of definition that belied its modest cost,